A Happy Dump-and-Throw Accident: Spicy Carrot & Sweet Potato Soup

This is truly a happy dump and throw accident. I had these sweet potatoes, you see. And a handful of CSA carrots, a few baby red potatoes (too few for a serving) and some ginger root that needed to be used up. Hmm.

What I didn't have was any vegetable soup stock. But I did have some frozen butternut squash soup from last season. So…here we go…

Spicy Carrot & Sweet Potato Soup

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
5 large carrots, peeled and chopped
5 baby red potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 red onion, chopped
ginger root, about two thumbs worth, pealed and chopped
1/2 stick butter
2-4 cups vegetable stock
Spices…all to taste:
Ground cardamom
Cayenne powder
Turmeric
Cinnamon
Ground black pepper
Sea salt

• Melt the butter in a sauce pan and add the onions.
• Saute until onions soften
• Add spices…start with small amounts and add more 
• Saute in the butter…they will start to be very aromatic
• Add vegetable stock, or in my case. butternut squash soup and stir until onion and spice mixture is mixed thoroughly into the stock.
• Raise heat until liquid begins to boil
• Add chopped vegetables and cook for 5-7 minutes in the boiling stock
• Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until vegetables are cooked all the way through. 

Now, here is where I made a happy mistake. I didn't taste. I got out the immersion blender, blended the cooked vegetables until the mixture was nice and creamy and removed it from the heat.

THEN I tasted. And practically choked because, clearly, I was pretty heavy handed with the cayenne. Like, wow.

So, back to the pantry cupboard where I fortunately found the secret mystery ingredient…a can of coconut milk. THANK GOODNESS.

I added the full can to the soup, and creamed it with the immersion blender again.

THIS, ladies and gentleman, is an excellent soup. Still spicy, but now tempered with the creaminess of the coconut milk and the inherent sweetness of the sweet potato, carrot and butternut squash.

Which all goes to show you…measuring is highly overrated.

Bon appétit.

Hello, Kohlrabi!

Oh haaaaaaiiii there. Yes, I know. It's been a while. Nearly a year, in fact. I've been around the world again for work (Santiago-related post to come) and we've mostly been repeating prior recipes and enjoying what's in the freezer from last season's cooking marathons.

This week's CSA haul included the largest kohlrabi I've ever met. For those who are unfamiliar with kohlrabi, you can read about it here. About the size of three tennis balls and weighing in at nearly 2 pounds, this was huge.  Usually, I prepare it by fry-cutting it, tossing with olive oil, sea salt and cayenne and roasting it in the oven.

Today however, is a different story. I'm just back from two and a half weeks in southern Poland - another work trip. Long hours, late nights, little choice of what to eat or when to eat it. I did, however, experience lots of types of slaws. Cabbage, carrot, more cabbage, beet…the Poles have mastered the art of the slaw.

And so, inspired by the lunch ladies at the company canteen at our office in Southern Poland, I bring you:

Kohlrabi-Beet-Carrot Slaw

1/2 pound kohlrabi, shredded using the large hole side of the grater
3 large carrots, scraped then shredded
1 large beet, peeled then shredded
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon balsamic vinegar
sea salt
black pepper

Whisk together the olive oil, lemon balsamic (you could substitute with lemon juice, if you have no lemon balsamic), sea salt and black pepper. Set aside.

Shred the kohlrabi, carrots and beets using the large hole side of the grater. Toss together in a bowl. Add the oil & vinegar mixture. Mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Serve as a side dish with chicken or fish…or add to a green salad for color and flavor.

Veggie Burgers that Hold Their Shape AND have Flavor

I've been searching for a veggie burger recipe where the burgers would both hold their shape and have some flavor. These fit the bill!

Ingredients

• 1 cup of dried chick peas, soaked overnight in 2 cups of water
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• To taste:
• Chiplote powder
• Chili powder
• Garlic powder
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Oregano

Directions:

• Drain chick peas
• Pulse in blender until coarsely chopped
• Add onion and spices
• Pulse till well mixed
• Mixture should hold together when formed into a ball
• Don't overmix...you don't want it too soft or it will fall apart when cooking!
• Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, form into uniform patties. This mixture makes @7-8 patties this size.
• Turn patties onto parchment on a plate and refridgerate until firm. I kept mine in the fridge overnight. 
• To cook, put 3-4 tablespoons olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Heat the oil. 
• Add patties, with enough space between them that you can flip them. 
• Cook 2-3 minutes per side, till the sides get golden brown and slightly crispy.
• When both sides are cooked, transfer to a baking dish and bake in the oven for another 7-9 minutes until firm and centers are cooked. 

These burgers were very tasty with fresh tomato, lettuce and ketchup. 

Yellow Curry & Lemongrass Tofu

This is pretty spicy, but adding some lemon juice and honey while cooking really rounded out the flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 package extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cubed
• 1 small jicama, diced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 small red pepper, diced
• 1 pound bok choy - firm ends diced and leaves chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro, washed and minced
• 1 -2 teaspoons yellow curry paste
• 11 oz coconut water (one can)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried lemongrass
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 - 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• sea salt

Directions:

• First, make a marinade for the tofu cubes. In a bowl, combine yellow curry paste, coconut water, dried lemongrass, garlic powder, soy sauce and sea salt to taste. The marinade will be very spicy... so add the yellow curry in small amounts and adjust to taste. Mix well. 
• Add tofu cubes to the bowl, covering completely with the marinade. 
• Set aside.
• In a large saute pan, add olive oil and diced red pepper. Saute over high heat. 
• As red pepper begins to cook, add carrots, jicama and the firm ends of the bok choy.
• Saute the firm vegetables until all begin to cook.
• Reduce to medium heat and add some of the marinade liquid to the pan.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the tofu from the marinade, and add to the vegetable mixture.
• Gradually add more and more of the marinade to the saute pan, gently folding in the tofu and vegetables.
• As the liquid heats up, add the chopped leaves of the bok choy and the cilantro.
• Add lemon juice and honey
• Fold all ingredients together
• Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the greens are cooked.
• Serve with your choice of rice

Kale and Quinoa Salad

I first had this at the cafeteria at work and asked the head chef about it. She admitted that she had googled "Kale and Quinoa" recipes and improvised from there. I did the same.

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa cooked in 2 cups vegetable broth
1 head Lacinto Kale, stems removed and discarded. Leaves chopped fine
1 red onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 - 1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon red hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

• Cook quinoa as per directions on package. I cooked mine in vegetable broth instead of plain water. When cooked, 
• In a large bowl, combine garlic, tahini, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, hot sauce and honey. Mix well and set aside. 
• Chop onion and red pepper. 
• Add chopped Kale to bowl with tahini mixture. Mix well. 
• Add onion and red pepper. 
• When the quinoa is cool, add to the bowl. Mix well. 

Eat. Then eat more.

Andrews Family Vegetarian Chili

If I had to name one dish as the staple in the Andrews Family larder, this would be it: Andrews Family Vegetarian Chili. We make this in a 12 quart stock pot, and freeze it into individual size containers for a quick, healthy, tasty meal. It starts like most of our vegetable dishes do...with lots of chopping. The proportions below are for a 12 quart pot. 

Ingredients

• Diced:
• Red Pepper (3-4)
• Green Pepper (2-3)
• Onion (1)
• Minced: 
• Garlic Cloves (2-3)
• Jalapeño (2)
• Chopped
• Zucchini (2 small) 
• Yellow Squash (2 small)
• Baked, Mashed Sweet Potato (1 large)
• Chopped Cilantro (1 entire bunch, washed)
• 5 cans black beans, drained
• 5 cans red kidney beans, drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes, or 1.5 cups your favorite tomato sauce (I use my homemade sauce)
• Spices:
• Cumin
• Cayenne
• Chili Powder
• Oregano
• Sea Salt
• Black Pepper

Directions

• Chop, mince, dice, bake, mash, and drain all ingredients as listed above. 
• In stock pot, add olive oil to cover the bottom of the pot
• Add onions, peppers and garlic
• Saute over medium/high heat until onions are translucent
• Add first round of spices, about 1 tsp of Chili powder, cayenne, oregano, cumin, a sprinkle of salt and a pepper
• Add diced tomatos / tomato sauce, and reduce heat to medium
• Add zucchini, yellow squash, sweet potato and cilantro, stirring well to mix thoroughly
• This is a good time to add more spices to taste
• Add beans, one can at a time, stirring each time to mix thoroughly
• Once all ingredients are in the pot, reduce heat to low
• Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally and adding spices to taste, until vegetables are cooked through.
• This dish benefits from a long, slow cooking cycle, giving the spices and flavors a chance to age. 
• This can be served with sour cream, diced avocado, and cilantro garnish. 

Spicy culprits: Chili Powder, Cayenne, Oregano and Cumin

Yummy Goodness:

Close-up...

Zucchini Lasagna (channeling Wendy)

I haven't made lasagna in a while because I'm trying to hold down the carbs. But my friend Wendy keeps posting these wonderful photos of meals made using zucchini instead of pasta, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Ingredients:

• Zucchini, sliced thin
• Fat-free riccotta cheese
• 1 egg, or 1/2 cup egg beaters
• spinach
• your favorite tomato sauce - I use my own homemade sauce
• Oregano
• Basil
• Garlic Powder 
• Shredded fat-free mozzarella
• Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Pre-heat the oven to 375
• In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, and spices to taste. 
• Slice the zucchini so it resembles lasagna noodles. I left the skin on. 
• Coat the bottom and sides of a baking dish with non-stick spray.
• Layer the ingredients into the dish:
• Zucchini "noodles
• cheese mixture
• Spinach
• Tomato sauce

• Repeat until dish is nearly full.
• Top the dish with shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
• Place the dish on a cookie sheet in the oven
• Bake for 25 - 35 minutes, until cheese on top starts to brown, the sides bubble and vegetables are cooked

Zucchini "noodles":

Building the layers:

Finished baking:

 A blurry picture of layery goodness:

The Sweet Potato: Is there ANYTHING it can't do?

Behold the lowly sweet potato. Homely, ungainly, oddly middle-aged looking....the Mrs. Patmore  of the vegetable family. But the sweet potato, my friends, is possibly the most versatile and clever of the root vegetables, and indeed the entire vegetable family. 

Baked sweet potatoes - with sea salt and a dash of cayenne or curry powder, or butter and a tip of cinnamon...an easy, healthy side dish. 

 Mashed sweet potatoes...another easy, healthy side dish with your choice of seasonings or...

Mashed sweet potatoes are also a key ingredient in the Andrews Family kitchen as a way to thicken the Spicy Chick Peas, or the Andrews Family Vegetarian Chili.

Sweet Potatoes have even made an appearance at the breakfast table on Easter Sunday. Sweet Potato Waffles with ginger are a spicy wonderful variation on thick belgian waffles. 

Sweet Potato Apricot Hand Pies - sweet potato is not just for breakfast anymore! These are a yummy, not-too-sweet treat that can be made ahead of time, frozen, warmed in the toaster oven and enjoyed at any time of day. 

The moral of the story? Do not underestimate the creative powers and versatility of the dumpiest of the bunch. Creativity knows no bounds, and, as the saying goes, you can't judge a book by it's cover.

Ribbolita

Several days ago, I made this French Onion Soup. It was delicious. It was so yummy I decided to use some of the leftovers as a basis for a hearty Ribbolita. Ribbolita is a thick, hearty Tuscan vegetable soup, rife with vegetables. Perfect with rustic, thick bread. 

There are tons of Ribbolita recipes on the web. Here's a good one to start with: Bon Appetit Ribollita. I barely followed this recipe, since I had slightly different vegetables (celery, kale, carrots, potatoes, butternut squash, tomatoes, canellini beans). I went heavy on the spices (thyme, basil, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano). And I added liberal amounts of red wine. And of course, all that is in addition to the French Onion soup base. 

The verdict? YUM. 

Snow Day: Whole Wheat Baguettes and French Onion Soup

This year's Christmas gifts included two new cookbooks, baguette bread pans, a pizza stone, and a gift certificate for the Artisanal Bread class at the Culinary Institute of America. Since we are (still!) snowed in on the east coast, I decided not to waste a minute and put the bread pans and cookbooks to good use. This is what we're making:

Whole Wheat Baguettes

2 cups (500 ml) warm water (110 F/43 C)
1 teaspoon sugar
3 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
5 to 5 1/2 cups (780 to 860 g) all-purpose flour. I substituted whole wheat flour for 25% of this total amount.
2 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten with a pinch of salt

• In a bowl, combine the warm water and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.
• Add the yeast and stir gently to mix. 
• Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with dough hook, combine 4 cups (625 g) of the flour and salt and bean on low speed just until combined. 
• Slowly add yeast mixture and beat on low until incorporated. 
• Increase the speed to medium low and beat for 10 minutes, adding more flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough is elastic and pulls away from the side of the bowl. 
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute. 
• Form into a ball, dust with flour. 
• Sprinkle a little flour into a bowl. Set the dough into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (45 to 60 minutes).
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few seconds. 
• Form the dough into a ball and return it to the bowl. 
• Cover with plastic. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (25 to 30 minutes).
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. 
• Cut into two equal pieces and shape each into a ball.
• Let rest for 5 minutes.
• Line French Bread pans with a kitchen towel and lightly flour the towel.
• Roll each ball into a log, about as long as the bread pan.
• Place each into the bread pan and cover with the edges of the towel.
• Let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
• Position rack in lower 1/3 o oven.
• Place a shallow baking dish filled with boiling water on oven floor.
• Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C).
• Gently lift the towel holding the loaves out of the bread pan, being careful to not to let them touch each other. 
• Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray.
• Lay each loaf into the bread pan.
• Using a sharp blade, score the loaves on the diagonal.
• Brush with egg mixture.
• Bake until the bread sounds hollow when tapped, 30-35 minutes.
• Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the bread cool in the pan to room temperature.

Meanwhile, while the dough is proofing...there were all these onions laying about...

French Onion Soup

8 tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup olive oil
2 lbs yellow onions, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
sea salt
pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon flour
8 cups of stock - the recipe called for beef stock, but I substituted vegetable stock instead
1 cup dry white wine
Several thick slices of course country bread
2 cups shredded Emmentaler cheese

• Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
• Stir in the onions and saute until translucent (4-5 minutes).
• Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the onions are lightly golden (about 15 minutes).
• Uncover and sprinkle with the sugar and salt. 
• Raise heat back to medium and cook uncovered, stirring often, until the onions are deep golden brown (30-40 minutes)
• Sprinkle the flour over the caramelized onions and cook, stirring until flour is lightly browned. 
• Don't worry if the flour sticks to the pan - that is "free flavor"!
• Slowly add the stock, stirring constantly. 
• Raise the heat to high, and bring to boil.
• Add the wine, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper.
• Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until onions begin to fall apart (45 minutes).

Because I have no oven-proof bowls, I improvised the next steps:

• Place the fresh baked whole wheat baguette bread slices on a broiling pan, and top with cheese.
• Broil in the oven or toaster oven until the cheese bubbles.
• Ladle hot soup into bowls.
• Place the toasted bread with melted cheese onto the soup.
• Add additional shredded cheese to the hot soup. 
• Serve at once. 

Mmmmm, melty goodness:

Melty goodness with fresh whole wheat baguettes, sea-salted olive oil for dipping, and a nice pinot grigio. Perfect meal for a cold, snowy evening!

The Traditional Christmas Eve Taco Salad

This is a variation on Mama Bish's Taco Salad (thanks, Mary!) that we've adapted as a multi-purpose flexitarian meal. This is suitable for meals where different people like different combinations of veggies and flavors. 

1 box Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice

1 head romain lettuce, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 avocado, chopped

1 pound ground turkey

1 package taco seasoning

1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded

your favorite salsa

Taco shells

Start with three things on the stovetop: 

1. Cook a box of Zatarains Red Beans and Rice. Follow the directions on the package.

2. Saute an onion, a red bell pepper, a green bell pepper, a jalapeno pepper and two cloves of garlic in one pan. Cook till the onions are translucent.

3. In another pan, brown one pound of ground turkey. Cook till it starts to brown, then add one packet of your favorite taco seasoning and a half cup of water. Mix, and cook till the meat is throughly cooked and the water has evaporated.

4. For people who like tacos in taco shells, they can add ingredients as desired.
5. For people who like salad, you can mix all the ingredients in a large bowl.
6. Toss the romain lettuce, avocado, red and green pepper.

7. Add shredded mozzarella and salsa.

8. Add the ground turkey.

9. Mix well and serve.

10. Enjoy!

Catching Up...

So, anyway, I went to China a few times this year. 6, in fact. A total of 16 weeks. I'm back now and still catching up on all sorts of things including remembering how to cook for myself and how to eat something other than rice. It's a long story. 

Meanwhile, I'm on a mission. While I was gone, riding out a Category 5 Typhoon from the 20th floor of my 4 star hotel (see, I *told* you it was a long story!), my husband was weathering a 4-day power outage and trying to save the summer's worth of meals I had cooked and stored in our second freezer. Luckily he was successful. He also ate well whilst I was gone and I'm now on a mission to restock our freezer for the winter. Since there is no snow yet, ski season has not come into full swing, I'm back in the kitchen wreaking havoc. 

AND, I have new inspiration!! Mary gave me this for my birthday: 

It's a collection of recipes from 7 different areas of the world, all vegetarian and all can be done in the crock pot. And, well, if you're going to get out the cutting board and the good knife, you might as well chop everything you can get your hands on. Right now, the Lebanese Eggplant Stew is simmering in the crock pot. Recipe below.

And my own bastardization version of the Potatoes and Peas in Red Curry Sauce is on the stove. As you can see in the picture below, there are no peas, and the curry is Yellow. Ok, so I improvised. Recipe below. 

Lebanese Eggplant Stew

1 eggplant, cubed
1 zucchini, cubed
3 tomatoes, quartered
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt to taste
1 cup Aunt Tobi's homemade tomato sauce, or water

• Combine all ingredients in slow cooker, mix well, cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours. 

Potato and Chick Pea Yellow Curry

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 inches of ginger root, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cans chickpeas, not drained
2 cups carrots, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
2 cups potatoes, cubed
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 can coconut milk
1 large sweet potato, baked, then mashed
2 heaping tablespoons Yellow Curry Paste
1 teaspoon cumin
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

• In large pot, heat olive oil, onions, garlic, ginger root and peppers. Saute till onions become translucent. Add small amount of salt. 
• Add potatoes, carrots and celery. Mix well and turn heat to low. 
• Add chickpeas. Stir.
• In separate bowl, combine coconut milk, mashed sweet potato, cumin and yellow curry paste. Stir till well-mixed and smooth. 
• Add curry mixture to vegetables. Stir well to mix.
• Add chopped cilantro.  
• Cover and cook on low till potatoes are soft. Stir occasionally. 

Corn Pie (otherwise known as Verrill Farm's Famous Corn & Tomato Tart)

Here is the recipe (Verrill Farm's Famous Corn & Tomato Tart) I use as the basis for Andrews Family Corn Pie. I've made the recipe exactly as listed, but over time, I've made some modifications.

For example, I use mozzarella instead of cheddar & egg whites instead of whole eggs. I find the cheddar too strong and the eggs too quiche-like. This recipe is all about the CORN. This time, I had an extra bunch of cilantro, and some red peppers, but no chives, so I substituted accordingly. Oh, and fat free 1/2 and 1/2 instead of heavy cream.

Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi

I picked up two new cookbooks at Williams-Sonoma last night. This is one of them: "Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi". Yotam Ottolenghi is both the author, and the owner of several restaurants in London. I had never heard of him before, but I liked the cover, browsed the recipes in the store, and made the purchase.

Today, I picked up vegetables at the CSA and was faced with the need to do something with eggplant, peppers and several types of squash. Rather than return to my standby ratatouille, I instead found this recipe: "Very Full Tart: A fantastic Mediterranean feast, full to the brim with roasted vegetables."

I had to substitute several of the ingredients from the original recipe, based on what I had available. Butternut squash instead of sweet potato, delicata squash instead of zucchini, and baby mozzerella instead of ricotta.

First, to roast the vegetables. Two kinds of peppers on the top shelf. Eggplant, butternut and delicata sqhash on second shelf. Tossed with olive oil and sea salt.

Onions sauted in olive oil with bay leaves till they get soft and brown.

Heirloom tomatos

I made this with no crust because we're watching our carbohydrates. This is really more of a crustless quiche than a true tart.

All assembled and ready for the oven. Onions on the bottom, then roasted vegetables, tomatos and mozzerella. Finally, thyme to taste, two eggs (I used egg beaters) and some heavy cream (for which I substituted fat free half and half).

35 minutes in the oven and look what we have here: A Very Full Crust-less Quiche-like Mediterranean Feast!